Miss A Columnist

Hayley Orzech is the News & Opinion Editor for Miss A. She found her passion in writing. She grew up in Detroit, MI and though it has been through the mill, she still has faith in it. She just graduated from Northern Michigan University and believes that you have not seen snow until you’ve spent a winter in Marquette on the shores of Lake Superior. She is in love with traveling and her hope now is to see as many places as she can while pursuing her dreams. She grew up in a large Polish family, full of firefighters. If she has learned anything other than how to not set her house on fire, it is that you can never take your blessings for granted because they might be up in flames before you can blink.

She adores traveling and meeting new people from all walks of life. She reads and writes everyday in between navigating her early 20’s. She's made it her mission to spread the wealth to those who are less fortunate. We are all in this together, after all.
She has had the privilege of adventures like snowboarding down the Rocky Mountains, jumping off of a cliff into clear, beautiful Lake Superior, hearing music on the Detroit River, running down a sand dune into the Au Sable River, looking up at the Statue of Liberty, climbing up a waterfall in Jamaica, letting her fingertips graze over a shark in Key West, hiking in California, gazing at Mount Rushmore, holding onto a giant Redwood tree and so many others that she can hardly believe her luck. All she truly want out of life is to have more adventures while helping others and doing the thing she love to do most: write.

Beauty Inside And Out: Gabrielle Union

More often than not, when a woman takes her workplace into her own hands and strives for a promotion, or is able to balance marriage, children and work with ease, she is often looked upon badly by her co-workers, neighbors or friends out of pure jealousy. This week’s beauty, Gabrielle Union was able to mock that stigma with her 2012 comedy “Think Like A Man,” but good-natured jabs at society aside, the actress is a truly dedicated advocate for women’s rights and health. In 2004, she began a campaign for her favorite beauty product, sunblock; more specifically, Neutrogena‘s line of sunscreens such as Beach Defense, Ultra Sheer and Wet Skin Sunscreens. The Bring It On and In Our Nature actress is also the face of Neutrogena’s Oil Free Acne Wash and their Tone Correcting Concentrated Serum making it seem like her dedication to keeping our skin as flawless as can be is her top priority, but this week’s beauty has more on her mind than just clear skin.

Gabrielle Union (Photo Credit: self.com)

Exercising on the beach is one of the actress’s favorite ways to stay in shape, but as her track record might indicate, she does not ‘mess around’ with sun protection. Aware that 1 in 5 people will develop melanoma in their lifetime made the actress even more avid about her dedication to keeping skin healthy. The actress participates in Neutrogena’s campaign Choose Skin Health, which urges women of every ethnicity and age to protect themselves daily from the sun.

However, melanoma is just one type of cancer that the actress fights against. Union gives to Stand Up To Cancer, a large non-profit whose goal is to eradicate cancer of every form through research and health education. She is Global Ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cureand participates in their walks to fund important breast cancer research, mamogram screenings and help for survivors. Since skin cancer is the second most common cancer found in people ages 18 though 30, it’s easy to see why the actress supports the cause. However, sunburn and melanoma are not the only things the actress seeks to protect women from. Union also supports The Rape Foundation, a charity dedicated to providing better care for rape victims by educating those responsible for helping them as well as to put preventative measures in place to stop the incidents all together.

Gabrielle Union (Photo Credit: theybf.com)

The actress is also an avid supporters of charities aimed at helping the nation’s youth, such as Youth Lifeline America, a large non-profit started by former NFL Super Bowl Tight-EndRoland Williams, which gives underprivileged children and teens support and education via actors, sports stars or musical artists. The aim of the non-profit is to capture the talents of the nation’s youth and through motivational work with the celebrities, encourage the children and teens to use their talents to improve their communities and the world.

Union also gives to theGibson Girl Foundation, a charity which awards scholarships to young performers as well as the chance to attend a camp in either Los Angeles or New York where they will learn valuable skills that will help them break into the music industry. Keeping in line with empowering young people, the actress also supported Declare Yourself, an initiative to bring young people to the polls to vote on important issues that will effect them.

Gabrielle Union (Photo Credit: stylelist.com)

Now, if you happen to be rethinking your daily beauty routine for the summer sun, you can enjoy your sunburn and melanoma free skin knowing that Gabrielle Union is sporting the same protection as she plays on her beach and that she truly cares about the protection Neutrogena’s sunscreens offer. Come back next week to find out who is showing off her beauty, inside and out!